Silence
by Tsundere-Kun
Summary: What actually happened in episode 25 between L and Light. WARNING: Do not read if you do not like shonen-ai


The evening had just begun as a downfall of many droplets of precipitation hit the ground continuously. I suppose my body had decided to remain out on the roof despite the slow dampening of my clothes. My plain, white shirt clung to my frame, liquid seeping into every inch of my being.

Then soft footsteps, accompanied by mumbled words made me turn my head towards the door. Light Yagami…An interesting being to be sure. "What are you doing standing out there by yourself?" He wondered. Just to pull his chain, metaphorically of course, I raised a hand to my ear as a sign to repeat what he had said. "What are you doing standing out there by yourself?" The genius male repeated, raising a cupped hand to his mouth in order to focus his words better; only to yell the words as loud as he could after I repeated my action with a mischievous smile. With a grumble, the light brown, matted mess trudged through the rain so he could stand beside me. "I'll ask again, what are you doing, Ryuuzaki."

"Oh, I'm not doing anything in particular," I responded off-handedly, shoving both hands into my jeans pockets. "It's just…I hear the bell."

"The bell?" Light repeated, his confusion easily would have been hidden if it were not me he spoke to.

I took my eyes off him to gaze up at the dreary sky, raindrops splattering against my face. "Yes. The sound of the bell has been unusually loud today." In my mind it made complete sense, but apparently Light was not as intelligent as I had thought…If he couldn't even understand a simple thing as that. My eyes shifted to watch his movements, facial direction never wavering from the gray expanse above us.

He looked around, hand still over his eyes to keep the rain off them. "Hmm, I don't hear anything."  
With one last final check to make sure my outward appearance remained indifferent, I turned to stare directly at my friend. "Really? You can't hear it?" Why won't you understand that I have realized what you're planning, Light? Why would you do this to a friend? "It's been ringing nonstop all day. I find it, very distracting." Is it simply because I am L? "I wonder if it's a church. Maybe a wedding, or perhaps a…" Just figure it out like you always do why don't you? You have the potential to surpass me. So why is this so hard for you to understand? I know what will happen today. What you've decided will happen.

Light lowered his hand, eyes narrowing slightly. "What are you getting at, Ryuuzaki?" He wondered, still clearly unaware of my words' meaning. "Come on, cut it out, let's get back inside." His words were tempting, I assure you, just by the way he said it…but mainly they were such because he was the one who said them.

"I'm sorry." Although I turned back to glance at him once, my body wanting to take shelter inside, I made sure not to look at Light as I spoke. "Nothing I say makes any sense anyway." Not to you at the very least, Light. "If I were you, I wouldn't believe any of it." My eyes stared at the ground, perhaps in hopes it would understand my plight.

The university student, ex-Kira perhaps, simply stared at me as if I were insane. Maybe I was slowly going mad, who am I to say otherwise? After all, Light Yagami was proven not to be Kira at all. "Heh, no you're totally right. Honestly most of the things you say sound like complete nonsense." If so, why do you listen to me when I speak, Light? Because you find my insanity comforting? "There'd be no end to my troubles if I actually took you seriously all the time." Then why, Light Yagami, do you stay around when you know we will never finish this case as it stands? "I probably know that better than anyone." Despite his words, I could tell he was not mocking me in the slightest.

"Yes…" My tone came out much more somber than I had meant it to, but perhaps that will give Light a good enough hint for him to figure it out? "I would say that is a fair assessment…but, I could also say the same about you."

"Hmm? What's that supposed to mean?" Ah, finally, you've dropped your guard.

I turned towards him, a smirk itching to show upon my face. "Tell me, Yagami-kun, from the moment you were born, was there ever a point when you actually told the truth?"

We stared, eye contact held for however long it was before he actually answered my question, as the rain continued to lightly shroud us both in the mist it was creating.

"Where's this coming from, Ryuuzaki?" Light wondered casually, the confusion still within his tone. "I do admit I've stretched the truth here and there…However, find me one person in this world who's never had to tell a lie. It wouldn't be easy." No, I…don't think it would be very easy. "Human beings just aren't made to be perfect like that. Everybody lies from time to time. Even so, I've always made a conscious effort to be careful not to tell a lie that could hurt others." Is that so? Then what about the lies you've weaved ever since the day we met, no before we met. Saying you're not Kira; that you want to try and find and capture him. All those things you told us, weren't some of those lies that could hurt us? "That's my answer." What a simple-minded way to try and lie to me, Light. Do you really think I believe you at all?

I nodded once, twice, twisting my head away from him with a barely concealed somber expression upon my face. "I had a feeling you'd say something like that." …a feeling that he may lie to me again, or simply stretch the truth in a way that wouldn't directly hurt anyone. Glancing back for only a moment, I suggested we both head back inside. My excuse being we were both drenched. He agreed with a simple "yeah", and turned his back on me in order to start his way back inside the building.

Once we reached a point that was neither too close to the outside or towards the others, Light settled down on the landing between two sets of stairs as I scuffled off to get a pair of towels. When I returned, I didn't want to disturb his thoughts all that much so I rested my own cloth atop my head and partly across my shoulders and simply gazed down at him. But this could only be for five seconds unless I wanted him to suspect anything odd about me. Then again, there was a seventy-seven percent chance he already thought I was odd. The hand which held his towel extended towards him to give it to the light-haired university student. "Well that was certainly an unpleasant outing," I commented, unsure of what I was hoping to accomplish by it what so ever.  
He chuckled slightly, accepting the towel. "It's your own fault. I mean, what did you expect?" Light dried off his hair quickly and efficiently. That was when a thought came to me: the rest of him was still dampened with precipitation.

"You're right. Sorry," I responded half-heartedly, my feet carrying me down the steps and close near Light's bare ones. Crouching down, still unnoticed by my friend, I blew gently on his right foot in attempt to dry it faster.

Light froze at the contact. "Wha-what are you doing?"

My shoulders shrugged, darkened eyes glancing up once to take a look at his expression. "I thought I might help you out. You were busy wiping yourself off anyway." I couldn't allow a smile to show until my face had ducked behind the shadows of my bangs. His awkward expression still showing I was sure, Light stuttered out, "look, i-it's fine, you don't have to do that." Shrugging once more, my black eyes darted up to his light brown ones. "I can give you a message too," I found myself offering. "It's the least I can do to atone for my sins…" Perhaps you will understand me now, Light? I can barely believe I'm giving you such hints and you still don't realize it at all. You're such a fool. "I'm actually pretty good at this."

"Fine. Do what you want." At that I took one foot, bringing my cloth-covered hand atop it and began my offered service. It seemed a bit uncomfortable to him by the grunt of unease he made, but all I could tell him was that he'd get used to it. Once more with a muttered "fine", a gentle silence fell upon us as my hands continued their actions.

Actually, I found myself wondering why I thought he was Kira if it disturbed me so much. My first friend, suspected to be a mass murderer? My first companion, someone I can play tennis against and actually have to try, a killer? My mind put each piece together, but my heart wanted to tear them all to smithereens; just so I can finally say, with confidence, that there is exactly zero percent chance that Light Yagami is Kira. But no, I didn't know what to think anymore. Was he Kira? Had he been Kira is the better question. There surely had been considerable evidence, to me, that he

Something touched my head, causing an abrupt halt to my thoughts. When I tilted my head up, they soon were half-covered by pure white fabric that I was sure I had not put there. "Here, you're still soaked." I paused to allow him to dry off my hair, but only for a short while. However, in that short span of time our eyes met until we both looked away simultaneously: he to his right and I back to my hands.

No matter how hard I tried to make them, my hands wouldn't move an inch before I spoke. "I'm sorry." Finally they listened. Was my body really that stubborn and directive that I couldn't do what I wanted until it said so? A small, depressing smile taunted my lips as I continued messaging his feet. "It will be lonely, won't it?" I posed the question, glad to have this moment with Light before the events I knew he was already excited for, barely allowing him to get a word in edgewise for the time being. Stopping, my back straightened to look directly up at his beautiful eyes. "You and I will be parting ways soon." The eyes of my friend widened in surprise. Did it finally come to him that I knew he was planning on having me killed? "There, all better." My gaze lifted as my lips formed a crooked smile. "Now I have come one step closer to atonement." I lifted my towel, now considerably wet, and began my own drying.

Light's hand suddenly rested atop my own, moved it aside, and took up where I had left off. "You're not the only one with sins to atone for, Ryuuzaki." Did he finally figure it out? Nodding in understanding, I allowed the suspected Kira to return the favor. Kira…such an evil person. Could someone like that be this man helping his friend? Perhaps it's because Light himself thinks I, Ryuuzaki, L…am not a criminal deserving of divine punishment, but a friend, an ally of his.

My thoughts went back to the day I first met Light Yagami. We had been taking an exam and he had turned back to look at me after the proctor told me to "sit properly". I scoffed mentally at the thought, eyes closing as a result of my relaxation.

Was I really that at ease around him? He was Kira, was he not, before this Higuchi gained said mysterious powers, and has possibly regained them now. I am L, the detective sworn to capture Kira and sentence him for all his crimes…but Light Yagami himself is different from the man he was, or is, as Kira. Could there possibly be a way to keep Light as a friend, but still sentence Kira to serve for his crimes? I hoped so.

I then realized just how close we had become, barely half an arm's length away as Light dried off my head the rest of the way. It was now or never at that precious moment.

"Light-kun," I addressed him, startling him from his own thoughts. My body took advantage of the younger's momentary lapse of focus to move in close enough for the tips of our noses to touch.

"Ryuuzaki, what are you—?" His question was cut short by the sound of my cell phone going off.

Unconsciously sighing in annoyance at whoever was calling, I stood and moved away from the light-haired male as my hand darted in and out of my pocket, opened the phone, and held it a few inches away from my ear with two fingers. "Yes, Yagami-san?" Curse that man for his timing!

"Ryuuzaki, we need you down here as soon as possible," the voice of Light's father instructed me. "Find Light and bring him with you. This is important."

Nodding, confirmed that I understood what he had told me. Glancing down to where I had left Light, I saw that he, too, had gotten to his feet. "Yagami-kun, that was your father. He says we need to get down to the rest of them as soon as we can… Do you understand?" Normally I would not have had to ask that last part, but by his appearance I thought it necessary to do so for the younger of us still seemed in shock of my actions. Never mind him right now, we need to go. Turning my back to him and towards the lower steps, I got to take one step before his hand grasped my wrist tightly.

"Ryuuzaki, stop for a moment." I turned, wondering what he could be thinking. Why was he asking this of me now? Don't you want to get down there so it can look like my death is completely out of your hands? You selfish

Light willingly connected out foreheads, a sigh expelling from his lips. "Ryuuzaki, I—"  
No, this can't happen. Not now. Not anymore. After all this, after all I've hoped for, I'm going to die. I just wish I could have lived a little longer with him. Stepping down, intentionally breaking contact, I turned and took a few steps away. "Come on, let's go, Yagami-kun…" I couldn't allow myself to break down now. I just couldn't. I would rather him see me die without giving in to my emotions, like a man should. "It seems like it's all worked out."

But couldn't it have worked out better?


End file.
